Digital Surrogates: Except where indicated, this document describes but does not reproduce the actual text, images and objects which make up this collection. Materials are available only in the Special Collections Department.

Use of Collections: The University of Iowa Libraries supports access to the materials, published and unpublished, in its collections. Nonetheless, access to some items may be restricted by their fragile condition or by contractual agreement with donors, and it may not be possible at all times to provide appropriate machinery for reading, viewing or accessing non-paper-based materials. Please read our Use of Manuscripts Statement.

Acquisition and Processing Information: A portion of the Frederick W. Kent Collection of Photographs was transferred from University Photo Service to University Archives prior to 1970, with many additional transfers during the 1980s and 1990s. Guide posted to the Internet February 2005; updated January 2008.

Photographs: Entire collection

Frederick W. Kent
Ca. 1928

Scope and Contents

The Frederick W. Kent Collection of Photographs is comprised of about 50,000 prints and negatives. The collection relates to most areas of the University of Iowa, including individuals, departments, and buildings, and it visually documents nearly every decade of University life since classes commenced in 1855. The majority of the images are dated between 1880 and 1980. In addition to University images, the collection includes approximately 2,000 images of commercial and residential structures off-campus in Iowa City, Iowa.

For more recent (post-1970) photographs of faculty, staff, alumni and former students, contact the University's Center for Media Production.

The Frederick W. Kent Collection of Photographs is arranged into five series based on format – prints, postcards, albums, safety negatives, and nitrate negatives – and then into sub-series based on subject area. Many, but not all, negatives have matching prints (and vice versa).

Frederick Wallace Kent (February 3, 1894-July 17, 1984) was a lecturer and instructor in photography at the University from 1923 until 1925. He was the curator of photographic apparatus, and the consulting photographer, from 1936 until 1947. Mr. Kent founded University Photo Service, and was manager from 1947 until 1963. He served as a part-time photographer of special projects with Photo Service for the next twelve years, retiring in 1975.

The importance of Fred Kent’s work goes beyond his many years of producing student’s graduation photos and recording sporting events. His detailed photographs of the 1922 restoration of Old Capitol on the University of Iowa campus aided in subsequent restorations of the building.

Mr. Kent photographed everyday scenes and the extraordinary. The Daily Iowan newspaper reported on November 23, 1934, that Mr. Kent designed a new camera to quickly and inexpensively photograph material for screen projection, improving upon the Recordak machine. He pioneered the use of stereographs in medicine, producing three-dimensional pictures for doctors. In 1947, Eastman Kodak commissioned him to write the first manual for medical photography. Mr. Kent also holds the honor of first recipient of the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission Award in 1984 for documenting the growth of the area through his photographs.

Of the tens of thousands of images he created, Mr. Kent considered his most famous to be the now ubiquitous pose of Nile Kinnick ready to pass the football, which Mr. Kent recorded in 1939, the year Kinnick was named All-American.

In addition to what is presented here, researchers should note that there are additional photographic collections in the RG 30.01 series, as well as small photographic collections throughout the various Archives holdings.

Box Contents List

[Note: The following inventory lists, where available, categories under which prints and negatives in the Frederick W. Kent Collection may be found. The number of prints or negatives in each category will range from as few as one to as many as 100 or more. For two sub-series - Faculty and Staff, and Students - there are no categories; in each case, individual items are arranged alphabetically by name. For the Theatre sub-series, photographs are arranged chronologically by school year, 1936 to 1972. See staff for additional information.]

Aerial Views
Airport
Ambulances
Bridges
Businesses and Houses, folder 1
Businesses and Houses, folder 2
Churches
City Park
East of River
East and West of River
Lake Macbride
Landscape - Kent[?]
Maps and Plans
Public Buildings
River Scenes, pre-1925
River Scenes, 1925-
Scenes (including postcards using photo archives)
Street Scenes - Business District
Street Scenes - Residential
Transportation
West of River

University of Iowa Campus:

East Campus Scenes
East and West Campus Scenes
Finkbine Golf Course
Macbride Field Campus
Maps and Plans
Panoramic Views
Pentacrest
West Campus Scenes

State of Iowa

File Cabinet 6, Drawer 4:

Scenes (continued):

Aerial views of Iowa City and campus, 1930-1971; 1.0 lin. ft.

Lake Macbride and Lakeside Laboratory, 1940-1950; 0.5 lin. ft.

File Cabinet 7, Drawers 1 - 3:

Faculty and Staff: 12 lin. ft.

File Cabinet 8, Drawers 1 - 2:

Organizations: A - Z; 2 lin. ft.

Acacia
Board of Education
Board of Regents
Dolphin Club
Dramatic Club
Forensic Societies
Fraternities and Sororities
Glee Club
Greek Letter Society
Hindu Students
KRUI Radio
Literary Society
Scottish Highlanders
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Speakers (SPCS)
Unidentified Organizations
Union Board Presidents
University Elementary School
University High School